Tuesday, August 16, 2016

The One Where Mindy Talks About Her Hard Week

Playing catch up on Mindy's emails. sorry about being so behind. here is mindy's email from Aug 1, 2016! enjoy :)

"It's not the numbers that matter but the lives that are touched"

Hello everyone!I'm sorry i that I was absent last week, time got the best of me and I didn't really have much to say so....Anyway, just as an update from the last two weeks. Sister Villasin and I are having fun in the sun and we love TST! I will admit that I have never had so many freckles on my face in my whole life and no amount of sunscreen seems to make a difference so, i'm embracing the speckles. LOL! It doesn't matter what you look like, as long as your testimony is still intact and you're willing to open your month. But some advice for you missionaries going out this summer, bring sunscreen. Finding on the street in the sun is a real thing and the sun will burn you. Be smart and be safe!Sister Viillasin is a ball of energy that never stops moving and she "whistles while [she] works." i'm having fun being her companion because we laugh a lot and we're both kind of awkward so it's led to some funny situations. She's been the pillar of positivity that I needed these last two weeks because these last two weeks have been some of the hardest that i've had in the mission. The numbers are the lowest that i have ever had in my mission. People won't answer the phones when we call and when they do answer, they won't schedule us, or they will cancel the lessons at the last minute. Sister Villasin is incredible at keeping a positive attitude and I will admit that i am not always as positive as I should be. Sometimes when i think of the numbers, i feel like i'm the worst senior companion in the mission. But i got a sweet reminder from my Heavenly Father the other day that has reminded me of why i am here. While i was looking at the numbers and thinking about all the "failures" that we had this week I got a thought in my head that said, "Sister Adams, It's not the number that count. It's the lives touched." Then i get to see all the sweet faces of the people that i did get to meet this week. I got to spend so much time with my members this week. Serving with them, playing with them, sharing with them and overall building a relationship with them. I got to spend time on the buss, on the street and in houses making sure that God's children knew that He loves them and striving to help make their day a little brighter. I also got to remember that although my numbers are the lowest they've ever been, my chinese is the best it's ever been. My relationship with my Heavenly Father is the closest it's ever been and my ability to overcome opposition is getting stronger every day.I was reading the Book of Mormon today and miraculously I was in the book of Alma Chapter 8. This is the chapter when Alma the Younger is rejected in the city of Ammonihah. Ammonihah is described as a city where ".. Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city Ammonihah, therefore, they would not hearken unto the words of Alma." When Alma gets rejected, he leaves the city and tries to move on with his mission but his heart and his thoughts are still troubled by the wickedness of the people of Ammonihah. While he's thinking about these people, an agel appears to him and tell him to "lift up your head" and reminds him that he is blessed. Hong Kong has felt a bit like Ammonihah this week and I will admit that my heart and my thoughts have been troubled because of it. But then i am reminded of the blessings. After that, Alma is told to reurn to the city and it there that he meets Amulek. Amulek is what I like to call a "member present." Lots of people think he is Alma's companion but the truth is that because Amulek was a native to the Ammonihah people, Alma and Amulek have TONS more success because people are willing to believe Amulek AND Alma. Love your members. They're your Amuleks and will give you the success and the hope that you need when you feel like no one wants to listen to you. God loves us and is aware of our situations. He's trying to help us grow into the person He needs us to be. As my Aunt Lisa shared with me today in an email, "Heavenly Father is the best lemonade maker." and He truly is. "Count your blessings" and "expect miracles today." I love you all and I hope you have a great week!Sister Adams

About Me

My name is Mindy Adams. I am 20. I come from a family of twelve, so yes, there are ten kids. I have five sisters, four brothers, two sisters-in-law, one brother-in-law, five nieces, four nephews and a whole bunch more to come. I love my huge family. I am LDS and I love it. I hope to someday be an athletic trainer but dreams do change so who knows where the Lord will take me. I am currently serving an LDS mission in Hong Kong China from October 2015 until May 2017.